Ottawa County Commisioners Mark Coppeler, Mark Stahl and Don Douglas will host a gathering to greet the county’s newest legislator, State Senator Theresa Gavarone of Bowling Green, on Monday, March 4 at Schedule Arboretum and Gardens, 19255 W. Portage River South Rd., Elmore.

The meet and greet will kick off with an introduction by State Representative Steve Arndt at 5 p.m. To RSVP for the event send an email to Coppeler at mccoppeler@gmail.com. There will be light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

Sen. Gavarone, an attorney, co-owns a private business with her husband, Jim. She was serving her second term in the Ohio House of Representatives when she was appointed to replace State Senator Randy Gardner of Bowling Green on Feb. 4, who was appointed Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education by Governor Mike DeWine. Gavarone had also been a member of Bowling Green City Council, serving on a variety of committees.

Sen. Gavarone has already been busy in the Ohio Senate. She recently introduced legislation aimed at reducing the amount of people in jail who are suffering from mental illness and have committed non-violent crimes.

“Through my years as an attorney, I have seen the inadequacies of the way we deal with people who struggle with mental illness,” she said in a statement. “This legislation seeks to express an intent for a reformed process.”